Recognizing motor difficulties

Case study

Dan was a Year 3 pupil attending a MLD Unit attached to a mainstream school. He had immense expressive language difficulties and fine (small movement skills such as pencil skills) and gross (larger physical skills like hopping and skipping) motor difficulties and was emotionally immature. His academic progress was very limited, although he was always willing to have a go.

During a planned motor skills lesson where there were a number of activities set up around the hall, Dan tried to walk, heel to toe, backwards on a rope placed on the floor. Even with arms outstretched to aid his balance he could not manage to place one foot behind the other without falling over and within seconds was in a heap on the floor, in floods of tears.

As the teacher I began to unpick what this movement involved and then began giving Dan the skills, piece by piece to be able to achieve this motor and balance skill. Within a month of regular practice, support and encouragement, Dan could walk backwards on the rope without wobbling and without tears!